Sea-floor nodules raise oxygen levels in the deep ocean, suggesting they may have a valuable role in ecosystems and adding to concerns about the impact of deep-sea mining
Metallic nodules scattered across the seabed in the Indian and Pacific oceans are a source of oxygen for nearby marine life – a finding that could upend our understanding of the deep ocean.
But without any noticeable plant life, that didn’t make sense, says Sweetman. “I’ve been taught from a very young age that oxygenated ecosystems are only possible through photosynthesis,” he says. His conclusion was that the machinery he was using was faulty. “I literally ignored the data,” he says.Then, in 2021, Sweetman was on another research cruise in the Pacific and machines returned the same finding – increasing oxygen levels on the seabed.
Instead, Sweetman says the materials in the nodules are acting as a “geobattery”, generating an electric current that splits seawater into hydrogen and oxygen. “These nodules are being mined because there’s everything there that you need to make anEach nodule can produce up to 1 volt of electric potential, the team discovered by probing the rocks.
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